GCSW, Gdańsk

There are people whose artificiality feels more authentic than the naturalism of many others. Dolly Parton is one of them. Her wig, glitter, and nails are not a disguise, but a form through which she thinks and acts. Her wig is as real as her commitment to workers’ rights. Her glitter is as serious as the two hundred million books distributed to children.

What makes her exceptional is not talent or career – she has both. It is a rare ability to be fully herself without apology. She wrote songs about pain and longing with the same directness with which she retained the rights to her own music, funded research on a COVID-19 vaccine, and declined the Presidential Medal three times. In 1980, she tapped out the rhythm of “9 to 5” with her own nails – a song about exhausting work and the dreams we have even while we sleep. The song’s title comes from the name of an organization fighting for equal pay. On the record it reads: “Nails by Dolly.”

Her excess is sincere, and her sincerity excessive. She does not ironize what she loves. She does not apologize for who she is.

GCSW, Strajku Dokerów 5 | Nowy Port

Has the museum gone to sleep? We grab flashlights and discover the exhibition-making process from behind the scenes. For those who prefer quiet over crowds and miss Kinoport.